


Steelheart

by ivarara



Category: Warframe
Genre: Tinleah (OC) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-30 23:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21436645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivarara/pseuds/ivarara
Summary: She won't back down from a job.
Kudos: 2





	Steelheart

_ “Your target is a reckless Tenno, stupidly eager to get the upper hand on us. You’re being bypassed, Zus. This is straight from command. Find them. Do not let them escape.”_

Would she be able to do it? She still wasn’t sure. Slaying a Warframe she did not know was different than harming the Tenno within. A Warframe, she comforted herself, could be repaired and healed. Cracked, sliced, ripped to pieces-- the frames are hardy, and a little help from a Helminth was sure to ease their pains.

The fragile bodies within are different.

_ She_ is one of those fragile bodies.

To confront a Tenno, to demand they leave the safety of their Somatic Link and their frame, to cause harm?

She isn’t sure she can do that.

She can’t be sure.

Hush cracks a grate vent in front of them, allowing them to slip through. The soldiers here know of their presence, but they’re choosing to stay hidden to make the task at hand somewhat easier. They notice them slipping into and out of vents and grates, slinking overhead on dashwires and pipes, but they do not comment.

For once, these war machines are on our side, they’re reminded. They are solving one of our troubling problems. 

Max slinks in after her, Trouvaille scrabbling up into the vent with the faint clicking of nails. Hush has it together, at least: she’s taking the lead, likely sensing the turmoil within her Operator. She turns back now and again to check on her, tilting her head worriedly.

“‘m fine,” Max brushes the concern off. “Keep goin’.”

_ This Tenno harmed your friends, harmed some of the Hounds. Intentional or not, you have revenge to take._

Revenge wasn’t a dish Max preferred to serve, truth be told. She’s more lenient, forgiving and forgetting instead of exacting detailed vengeance on foes. The Corpus are one thing, greedy, gluttonous machines and crewmen with one goal in mind: profiting. She can slay them, no issues. Max didn’t feel remorse at slaying a Corpus target, mowing down an onslaught of robotics that had no minds of their own.

But a child like her, she did.

She shakes her head. Now’s not the time to get cold feet.

Hush points ahead. _They’re here_. A loud crashing accompanies the note, making all three of them cringe. Oh, that sounded _expensive_. 

“They’re after the mining equipment?” Hush nods. “Typical. Can’t gather the gall to go straight to the source. Must take it out on the machinery used instead.” She tries bravado, a stern voice, but Trouvaille can probably tell how her hands shake as she unholsters her rifle, can sense the trepidation in the air.

She remembers the orders barked at her from a former mother-figure, remaining pointedly nameless. “Destroy their mining equipment. We cannot risk the Grineer developing energy weapons.” _Au contraire, faux figure, this is only one of the ways they’re getting their hands on energy weapons_. Max smirks to herself. _What a sore surprise, to think you are doing something so noble and worthy, only to find it in vain._

Maxis heaves a sigh._ Get it over with. Don’t think into it._

She nods to Hush, and they act.

They burst out of the grate, raining hell on the unsuspecting Tenno below. The frame jolts in surprise before reacting, but three targets is too many to keep track of simultaneously. Trouvaille goes in for slashes with his razor-sharp claws at their legs and tendons, Hush picks a vantage point and rains arrows, and Max charges in with her Parazon at the ready.

“Max?” She almost doesn’t hear at first, too focused on her task. Get in there before they can see you. It’ll make it easier.

“Maxis!?” Oh, the voice turns her blood to lead, dragging her down like tar, clawing at her limbs until she slowed and slowed and stopped.

“Maxis! It’s just me!” The voice continues.

_ You’ve been sent with a job, soldier. Do not cop out for feelings._

Max hardens her eyes, looking up. Datura’s shocked face meets her, and the Warframe relaxes slightly. “Good grief, you scared me there,” Tinleah’s voice rings out. She reaches out through her frame to Max’s shoulder. “What are you--”

“Don’t.” Max snarls. You harmed the Hounds, you must have known you did. Don’t try to worm your way out with songs played on heartstrings. “You know what you did.”

“No, I don’t, actually.” Tinleah answers pointedly, playfully. “Care to remind me?”

“You_ know_ what you did.” Max stares straight into the Warframe before her as she growls the sentence again, more to solidify herself than to warn the other.

“Max, hon, I don’t. What did I do? Why are you doing this?”

You have to know what you did! Max begs. You know why I’m here. Figure a way out, so I don’t have to do this!

“Sedna. Three days ago.”

“And?”

“You were there on another sabotage mission.”

“That’s--”

“_Do not speak over me_,” Max growls. “The Hounds were there.”

Tinleah goes deathly silent. _She knows, now._

“You slayed them, without a second thought. You slayed them, you slayed my brethren.”

“They’re not your true brethren,” Tin pleads. “_We _are._ I am.”_

“No.” Max grits her teeth, clenches her hand into a fist around the barrel of her Argonak. “They are. They have given me a place to live and stay in safety. What have the Tenno done for me?”

“Maxis, listen, we’re not all like that anymore.”

“What have they done for me?”

“Nothing! I know, they haven’t done _anything_ favorable for you, but just listen! Things are different! We’re no longer blinded or shielded from the truth. We’re as awake as we’ll ever be.” Tinleah’s voice is shrill with panic.

_ Why does she have to plead? Put your fists up. Give me a reason to fight._

Max stays silent.

Hush watches owlishly from her perch.

“Hush, are you going to just let her?!” Tinleah snaps. 

Hush looks away for a moment.

“Trouvaille,” Tin resorts to him. “Whassup buddy? Whatchu doin’, boy?”

Trouvaille’s tail begs to wag excitedly.

But it doesn’t. He stays still, stock-sturdy and bristling. 

“You can’t do this,” Tinleah barks to her, now. “You can’t. You won’t.”

“I can.” Max raises her rifle. “I will.”

A semi-automatic shot rings out.

Tinleah yelps at the feedback, a pain sprouting in her side through the Link. Datura stumbles to the ground, the point-blank impact jostling her back.

“You--”

“Hush.”

“What is she going to do?”

“No. Hush.” Max’s voice is calmer now. “Be quiet.”

“Why should I--”

“I haven’t killed you, yet.”

Tinleah is stunned silent. Maxis takes the moment to cement the contrary in. “You see, my loyalty to my Queens and brothers is thicker than loyalty to cowardly children, hiding behind their Warframes. You’re safe and sound, hidden away in your Orbiter. You think yourself invulnerable, but you’re not. You’re just as laid bare as the rest of us, when it comes to terms.”

Max stares at her, but no longer with malice.

“Hush,” Max beckons. “Finish them off.” She turns to leave.

“Maxis, no,” Tinleah begs, pleads. “Please, no.”

Hush draws her Artemis Bow back.

“Hush, don’t! Max, s-stop her!” Tinleah cries. Her voice is watery.

_ Do not think about it, Maxis._

“Hush. Do it.” She flicks her wrist.

Hush stares soulfully down to Datura, and releases the arrows.

The last thing Tinleah sees is Maxis walking away.

  


  


She awakens, later on. Sore, tattered, but alive. Datura is being attended to by Solise in her Trinity; Tinleah had passed out in her Somatic Link.

The events come crawling back to her.

_ Maxis wouldn’t have done that._

She hugs herself.

But Maxis_ did._ Maxis had shown up with one task in mind, and as far as she knows, she had accomplished it. Did she know Hush had hit them with a sleep arrow? Did she want to know? Did she think Tinleah and Datura dead, left to rot somewhere on the base?

Solise notices her awakening. “You need a rest, dear,” she soothes. “Come to your quarters. Taffy awaits.”

“I don’t want to.” Childish, she knows, but that’s all she can muster.

Solise sighs. “I know your turmoil.” She lays a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I saw the events on Datura’s playback. I’m as shocked as you are at the events that transpired.”

“She wouldn’t have done that.” Her voice is small, frail and feeble.

“She did.” Solise freezes for a moment. “She’s just messaged us.”

“I don’t want to read it right now,” Tinleah cries.

“Oh--oh, Tinleah, she’s explaining.”

“Making excuses?”

“No, no, explaining.”

“What, then?”

“She was sent straight by higher-ups.” Solise remarks. “Not through Zus. Captain Vor himself sent her to intercept us.”

Tinleah stays silent, festering.

“She was to record at least one solid hit on the Warframe targeting the base. That’s why she…” Solise trails off, waving a hand. “The way she did.

“She wasn’t required to bring a body back for proof, so she manipulated the data to make it seem like we had staggered off on our own. In reality, her and Hush escorted us outside, to a remote part of the asteroid, where I could easily recover you.”

“How does that make it any better?”

“She called for me.”

Tinleah jolts.

“Why would she--”

“She was sent on a job that her life depended on. If she failed, she’d be thrown out of the ranks to fend for herself. She did the bare minimum required. That slimy little Grineer dog did the least she had to, and let us off free at the end.”

Her heart warms. “So, does that mean…?”

“She is apologizing _profusely_. I cannot get a word in edgewise through it all. Her and Hush are both apologizing, and saying they understand if hard feelings remain.” Solise looks to the datapad in her hand and reads part of the message aloud. “‘It was hard, God it was _hard_, but I had to, Tin. If I didn’t do it, they’d send someone like Blackwatch in to take care of you. Only I can do that.’” She looks back up at Tinleah. “Should I tell her?”

“Tell her I forgive her. She’s okay. Tell her I’m okay, and Datura’s okay, too.”

“Very well,” Solise hums warmly.

She turns to the datapad again. _You’re off the hook, this time,_ she writes_. Pull another stunt like that again and Tinleah won’t be the one exacting revenge._


End file.
